Assessment of the effect of vitiligo on choroidal thickness using spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Abstract The eye is rich in melanocytes, especially in the uvea and the retinal pigment epithelium. These could be potential targets for autoimmune damage in vitiligo patients. Early work has focused on clinical examination findings in eyes of vitiligo patients. Reported findings included ocular surface dryness, iris atrophy, fundus mottling and hypopigmented spots, and choroidal nevi. Other studies have demonstrated affected electrophysiology in eyes of vitiligo patients. Some authors have argued for periocular skin involvement as a marker of eye involvement. A recent study has demonstrated decreased choroidal thickness as measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and correlated such a decrease with the VASI score, a method of measuring vitiligo disease severity.